Kyoya's Story
by MrsMalfoy18
Summary: Adeline needed some inspiration, so Tamaki suggests Kyoya take her on a date to get some ideas. Kyoya X OC
1. Chapter 1

_He was like snow. Cold and unyielding, but beautiful._

 _.~~~._

I had started going to the club to get ideas for stories. I was a writer, or at least, I wanted to be. And the characters of the Host Club were quite the inspiration. Generally, I met with Haruhi. She knew them all the best, and as a girl, her view towards them was surprisingly objective. Plus, other than that, she was great to make conversation with. Tamaki was one of my favorites to turn into characters. He was what every writer loves; a little ball of everything. Not to mention the way he made all the girls swoon. He had a knack for it, and it helped me with my romantic drabbles.

On one particular day, I had gotten a spark, if you will, so I stayed scribbling until most of the guests had gone.

"She really is dedicated isn't she?" Honey-sempai mentioned to Mori.

I laughed, "It's just something that happens sometimes."

Honey yawned. "I wish I had a talent like that."

I looked up from my words. "Honey, your fighting skills are unmatched-"

He waved his hand at me, looking very bored. "It's not like that. Stories make people smile."

I gave him a large smile. "Yeah, I guess they do."

A breeze rolled in, causing my papers to fly across the room. Kyoya bent down to pick them up, and handed them to me.

"It's a shame," he said, "That such a talented writer wastes her time with such corny stories."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "It's a shame such a talented businessman wastes his time with such a corny club."

He pushed his glasses up, and they caught the light. "Touché, Miss Adeline."

"I _love_ her stories!" Tamaki shouted, his hands placed passionately over his chest.

"Because they're all about you." Haruhi muttered under her breath.

I giggled.

"Say how come-"

"You never write about us?" The twins chimed.

I rolled my eyes. "I've written plenty about you."

"But not enough, darling," Hakuri said, his cheek pressed on mine.

"We need more." Kaoru added, taking my hand and kissing it.

I pulled away, smiling, "You two are truly the most troublesome twins I've ever met."

"Oh, Kaoru, I think we made our lady blush."

"Indeed Hakuri. Her skin glows so beautifully when it's tinted pink like that."

I laughed, waving them away. "Stop that. I'm writing."

"You should write about Kyoya. He doesn't have a story yet." Hakuri was hovering over me.

"I doubt he wants one," I said, scribbling on the paper some more.

"Of course he does. You can't leave him out."

I glanced up. Kyoya was at his usual spot, typing away on his computer.

"Kyoya? Do you feel left out?" I called.

He continued to type as he spoke, "It's no interest of mine what you choose to write or not write about."

I tapped the pencil against my chin.

"What's wrong, Adeline?" Honey-sempai was rubbing his eyes.

"It'll be an interesting challenge," I explained, "Turning Kyoya into a romantic character."

"Kyoya is plenty romantic!" Tamaki jumped in, "He knows his way around the maidens. You should see how many clients request him!"

Suddenly Tamaki got that look in his eye that we all knew too well.

"I know! Kyoya! You should take Adeline on a date! So that way she has inspiration!"

I threw my hands up, locking eyes with Kyoya and shaking my head. "No no, it's fine. He's busy and it's really not necessary. It's not fair to put him in a position-"

"I have spare time on Saturday." He said boredly, not letting the commotion interrupt his typing. I had nothing on him when it came to dedication. I was somewhat surprised at his leniency, but it was to be expected. Kyoya had a habit of making Tamaki happy, no matter how irritating his antics might be. I caught Haruhi shooting me a surprised glance. I guess she hadn't expected him to accept either. I don't quite remember, but I think I nodded, and I swallowed, since my mouth had gone dry, before I said, "Ok."

Tamaki clapped his hands excitedly.

"I can't wait to read it." Honey said, jumping onto Mori's shoulders.

"Don't make it too good-"

"Ours still have to be the best."

"Well, two is always better than one, isn't it?" I winked at the twins.

They laughed and embraced each other. They sure knew how to play off the whole 'twincest' image.

I continued to write, the words spilling onto the page, and I didn't notice that most of the members of the club had gone home. All, save for one. A shadow rose over my paper and I looked up to see its owner. Kyoya was looking down at me.

"I shall pick you up at eleven."

"Oh no, it's quite alright we can just meet somewhere-"

"I'm well aware of your situation, Adeline," he pushed up his glasses, "And I can assure you it is of no consequence."

I bit the inside of my cheeks. Of course he knew. He knew everything about everybody. While I attended Ouran, it was on a scholarship, much like Haruhi's. Perhaps that's why we got along so well. My scholarship didn't cover everything, and I wasn't exactly a commoner, but I was by no means at the level at which the rest of my peers were. My father owned a few restaurants. Nothing major, but business was good and we were well off. In their eyes though, I'm sure they would have seen me as a commoner.

"O-ok then," I stammered, "Eleven."

He nodded, turning his back to me and heading back to his desk. He looked so tall suddenly. He really was an intimidating figure. Especially when he shot those death glares he was so infamous for. And yet he was the brilliant mastermind behind everything. The one who turned Tamaki's crazy ideas into reality. A true Shadow King.

'Behind every great man is an even greater woman.'

I couldn't help but to giggle at the thought that it was probably why Tamaki called Kyoya 'mommy.'

"Is something the matter?"

I looked up at him. He had taken off his glasses, rubbing his neck and staring at the screen. I had never seen him without his glasses before. And like an instrument, it felt as though I was experiencing a new and secret chord, one I wanted to be played again and again.

I shook my head, not caring if he had seen me or not, and scribbled the first line of his story.

 _He was like snow. Cold and unyielding, but beautiful._

I looked up at him again, and became painfully aware that we were alone in the room.

"Why haven't you left yet?" I asked.

"I need to finish."

I smiled. "I can understand that."

"This is business. Not a silly story."

I clenched my jaw but released a deep breath. I had a bad habit of losing my temper too quickly. And with Kyoya, he required extra patience. He had a tendency to say things blatantly. For all his analysis and keen ability to read people, he could be rather rude.

"Importance is relative. And writing brings me pleasure. When I get really close to the end of a story, or I get a new idea, I can't stop until it's all written out. All I'm saying is I can relate to the need to finish something."

He replied with a curt nod.

So maybe I talked too much. I was starting to realize why I had never written about Kyoya before. What kind of girl would it take for him to fall head over heels? Was he even capable of falling head over heels? Maybe in his own, discreet way. Definitely. He'd give her a flower every now and again, maybe catch her if she ever happened to trip near him. For Christmas he'd give her a lavish piece of jewelry. Nothing flashy of course, it wasn't quite in his nature. She'd need to be smart, someone he could respect. Definitely. Maybe she'd have to be cynical. He was the Shadow King after all. He'd need himself a Queen.

 _She was like rain. Mysterious and alluring._

I tapped the pencil against the table, thinking. That could work, for now. I packed up my things, and bid him goodbye. He didn't bother to look up from his computer, but gave me a 'mhm' with a vague nod of his head. I left the music room, my thoughts on Saturday. I'd have to get him to actually talk to me. Figure out what kind of girl caught his fancy. That would be simple enough…right?

 **A/N: So I just binge watched this anime over the weekend and I fell in love with the Shadow King. So this was born. I'd like to continue it but like I said I'm going to be really busy. Nonetheless I needed to post this because I wanted to know what you all think and to please my fellow fangirls lol ^^ Don't forget to favorite and review! Thanks all and hope you enjoyed~~**


	2. Chapter 2

_You're only allowed to fall for me._

.~~~.

I never got used to riding in limos. They were so pointlessly large.

"Did you have in mind where you wanted to go?" Kyoya sat across from me. He looked positively average in just a button down shirt and…jeans? I'd never seen him in any before. He looked very relaxed. It was good to see but still sort of strange, since he was so uptight all the time.

"Um, there's this ice cream place. It's in a commoner's mall but the food there is really good. We could walk around and chat."

"If you like."

This was the longest I had seen Kyoya without his computer. I kept getting sort of anxious. Like he might pull it out at any minute. He was always all business. Which reminded me. I pulled out a small black notebook from my bag.

"Do you mind if I take notes?" I cringed at hearing my own voice. That sounded so stupid. "I mean I'm not analyzing you or anything, just I'm trying to get a better sense of-"

"Whatever you like."

Kyoya had this annoying trait. He was always interrupting. It was almost as though what I had to say wasn't important enough to be heard through. But I bit my tongue. Because I knew he was probably sacrificing a lot of time coming on this makeshift date.

We clambered out of the car, and I led the way to the ice cream parlor.

"So…Kyoya."

He glanced down at me.

"What's your dream girl like?"

He shrugged. "I've never given it much thought."

I made a face. Of course he hadn't. "But, you must have preferences."

"Preferences?"

"Yeah, you know, like-" It was our turn to order, so I held a finger up, showing him I would continue in a bit. "I'll have the pina colada and, do you want anything Kyoya?"

He shook his head.

"Well he can have some of mine. Just a pina colada please."

"Cup or cone miss?"

"Cone." I said, smiling.

The lady handed me the ice cream and I licked off the top. It was just as delicious as I remembered. I held it up to Kyoya. "Here, try some."

"No thank you."

I shot him a look. "Kyoya. You're being annoying. Just try a lick."

"It's quite alright."

"Kyoya." I didn't think. I just kind of shoved the ice cream up in his face. I figured he'd dodge it or open his mouth. But he didn't do either. So it just sort of fell on his face, pina colada dripping on his nose and mouth. He stood motionless.

Now I had never come face to face with death, but if I had to pick a moment, I'd say that'd be it.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry!" I said frantically grabbing some napkins. "It's ok it's just on your face we can wipe it off! Tastes good though right?" I babbled nervously. A small chunk fell from his nose onto the ground. I tried to bite my lip, to stop myself from laughing, but I couldn't. I covered my mouth with my hand, laughing, trying to hold onto the ice cream with the other.

"I'm so sorry. You look so funny though. Here, here. Napkins. And there's a bathroom, you can wash off your face so it's not sticky."

He walked wordlessly into the bathroom.

I went over to one of the booths and cowered in my seat, nervously eating my ice cream. He would never talk to me again after this. He'd probably banish me, and not give me a ride home. I sighed. It was my own fault anyhow.

The bathroom door opened and he made his way over to me, sitting down on the opposite side of the booth.

"What was it you were saying about preferences?"

My eyes widened with surprise. He was letting it go? My heart began to pound. Maybe he had some sort of devilish plan to get me back later. He'd done it to Tamaki plenty enough. I shook my head, trying to answer his question.

"Yeah, you know. Like do you prefer long hair or short hair?"

"I don't see how it would make a difference."

I think my eye twitched.

"Ok, well…um maybe a color? Most guys have a certain hair color they're attracted to."

"I like red hair."

"Red hair! Ok I can work with that!" I happily scribbled it down in my notebook. When I looked up, he had his chin in his hand, and he was looking at me intently. The strangest feeling ran through me.

"W-what?"

"Doesn't this seem rather futile?"

I could only blink at him. "W-well it's how I get ideas. I people watch and chat."

"Shall we walk around then?" he suggested.

I finished off my ice cream and we exited the parlor. I suddenly got very nervous. This was a commoner mall. I could almost guarantee there would be nothing here that he would care about.

As we were walking, we passed by a group of girls, and one of them smiled at Kyoya. Once we were out of earshot, I nudged him. "What did you think of her? She was pretty, don't you think?"

"Which one?" he said, oblivious.

"The one that smiled at you!"

"Come again?"

I shook my head. "Kyoya you're never gonna get a girlfriend if you don't notice-"

At that moment I tripped. It was straight out of one of my stories. Of course _I_ would fall, at this very moment, embarrassing myself for the second time in front of Kyoya. My arms reflexively spread out, to take most of the impact for when I would hit the ground. Except, I never got to the ground. Because Kyoya had a hold of my arm.

"A lady like you shouldn't be so clumsy." He said, rather irritated, pulling me up so I could steady myself.

Ok, so maybe it wasn't as romantic as I had originally envisioned it to be. If I had to edit it, I'd say when she trips, he scoops her in his arms and chastises her sweetly for not watching where she was going.

 _You're only allowed to fall for me._

 _Oh Kyoya, only if you're there to catch me._

Hm. So maybe Kyoya was right. That was pretty corny.

I shook my head, bringing myself back to reality. I scoffed at him. "So I misstepped. At least I notice when people smile at me."

"I saw it just fine, Adeline. I just can't muster up the energy to care."

"Well why the hell not? Admit that it's flattering, at least."

"Any sort of relationship with that girl would not be advantageous. To pursue any means of response would be pointless."

"Oh." I said. Everything with Kyoya needed a purpose. "But what if she was really funny, and she made you laugh and stuff?"

He pushed his glasses up. "She'd still be just a commoner."

It was a bit harsh but very Kyoya-like. So I let it go. Besides, it revealed that his girl would have to be someone just like him. A true Queen. I scribbled that down in the notebook, and added a few remarks to the tripping scene I had written about before.

We walked around the mall, and I showed him a variety of different things, but nothing he took a particular interest in. Hanging out with Kyoya was kind of exhausting. It was like I was trying to entertain a child who was hell bent on not giving a damn. Not to mention all I had eaten was that ice cream, and half of it had been lost to Kyoya's face.

"How about we grab some lunch?" I suggested, practically starving at that point.

"If it's all the same to you, I have a place in mind."

"Ok," I said, "Sure."

We sat in the limo, but next to each other this time, and the silence was gnawing at me. I couldn't take it. "So court me." I said.

He lifted his eyebrows. "Court you?"

"Yeah, you know. Like you do at the club. You've never courted me before. I wanna see what it's all about."

He cleared his throat. "I won't be courting you. You're not my client, and there's no need for me to be fake around you."

I sighed. This was going to be the most boring car ride ever.

"Ok so then pretend I was your dream girl-"

He sighed. God was he always doing that?

"I told you, I've never given it much thought-"

"Well think one up right now. Say she was here right now. What would you tell her?"

He shot me a glare but I held tightly to my notebook, as though my courage resided in it. "Please? Indulge me."

He blew out an angry breath but answered me anyway. "I'd compliment her, naturally."

"Ok," I scribbled, "That's a start."

I hadn't noticed how close to me he had gotten, because I was sort of excited that he was actually giving me something to work with, so my full attention was on my little black notebook.

"And I'd whisper sweet nothings into her ear."

I froze. He had just hardly spoken above a whisper, and I could feel his hot breath against my ear. Without realizing it, my heart began to pound. So this is what made Kyoya so alluring. The worst part was is he wasn't trying to be sexy or attractive or anything. He said it in his matter-of-fact voice. Very firm and to the point. So why was I so bloody nervous?

I cleared my throat, giving him time to make some space between us before I lifted my head to look at him.

"That's very romantic," I said, "This story might end up being the most cheesy of them all."

He grimaced. "Really?"

I laughed. "Oh relax, Kyoya. It's only loosely based on you anyway."

Except it wouldn't be. This character was in every essence Kyoya-esque. I had taken it as a personal challenge to find his perfect female counterpart. I didn't have very much so far. She would need red hair, and she'd have to be patient. Patient enough for his icy walls to melt down. Oh. Icy walls. That was good. I should write that down.


	3. Chapter 3

_And with the rain, his icy walls slowly began to melt..._

.~~~.

We pulled up to a very lavish looking place, and I suddenly felt my stomach churn. I felt so horribly underdressed. I glanced over at Kyoya, his calm demeanor ever-present. Wasn't he worried? He wasn't in fancy attire either. He was wearing jeans for god sakes. Would we even be let in?

We stepped in and the hostess gave us a rather nasty look. "I'm sorry but we don't-"

She was cut off by a large woman in elegant clothing. "Is that one of the Ootori boys?"

Kyoya flashed her his best smile, putting a hand over his chest and bowing. "Hello Madame Major. Lovely to see you again."

"I knew I recognized that face. Your family is full of such charmers, Kyoya. And who is this?"

He stepped to the side, so that I came into full view, and he introduced me.

"This is Adeline Brunne."

She looked me up and down, smiling. "I know that last name. Your father gave me quite the run for my money way back when."

I blushed without wanting to. It was such a strange feeling; I was never recognized since my family wasn't a very large influence. "It's just a small family business." I said.

"Good food is good food my dear. Don't you forget that."

I nodded, and Madame Major insisted she had the best seat in the house for us. We followed her up some stairs to the roof. There was a small table, perfect for two, close to the edge to provide the best view of the colorful park down below. With autumn approaching, it was truly breathtaking.

"I'll send a waiter shortly."

With that she made her way back down, leaving Kyoya and I to ourselves. Something about sitting across from him made me nervous. He was strangely close but the barrier the table provided seemed eternal. In a word: awkward.

"Do you cook, Adeline?" Kyoya asked, making conversation while we waited.

"I'm actually pretty awful at it," I admitted, taking some of the before-dinner bread. "But I'm really good at making sweets. Cakes and cookies and stuff. I love decorating them but the designs always turn out pretty messed up. They taste good though!" I laughed.

"You always speak with such a plethora of words."

I blinked. "Does that bother you?"

"It usually does."

I smiled. "Well I guess that makes us friends if you can tolerate it."

"Indeed."

Something about that made me pretty happy. We were friends, and I knew it was a genuine friendship, since I didn't exactly have much to offer him advantage wise. It had to be a rare sort of thing.

"Would you consider yourself romantic?" I asked.

"To a certain degree, I suppose."

I looked at him, my elbows on the table and my hands folded so that I could rest my chin on them.

"I'm going to take that as a no."

"And what makes you say that?"

"You're so stiff."

"Stiff."

"Romance is languid. Flowy. It knows no bounds. You know, all that _corny_ stuff."

He looked at me for a bit, before he said, "It's bad etiquette to rest one's elbows on the table."

I sighed and removed my hands. There had been moments when I thought maybe I was getting through to him. But maybe it had all been tedious routine to him.

"Thank you," I said, "For doing this. I know Tamaki put you up to it."

"I wanted to." He said, just as the food was brought out.

Something about that struck another chord. Did he mean that? Maybe he just meant he wanted to help. Probably. I couldn't imagine why someone like Kyoya would want to spend his Saturday with someone like me. All this to help a friend? Ok, so maybe secretly Kyoya was a good guy. But other people were always taking credit for it, and he stepped back, letting them shine in his spotlight. I guess that's what made him the Shadow King. I could respect that, even if this image was making my head hurt. I pulled out my notebook.

 _Needs someone who will notice/appreciate his sweet side._

 _Keeps it hidden because he doesn't want to get hurt._

He twirled his spaghetti, watching me scribble. "Moment of inspiration?" he asked.

"Sort of." I said.

The vexation must have been apparent on my face because he asked me what was wrong.

I glanced up at him, he was politely wiping his face with a napkin.

"Well, it just seems so cliché. My ideas so far, I mean."

"Isn't that the point of a love story?" he asked.

I took a few bites of my own pasta before replying.

"Yes. I mean…its difficult. With this set of characters. I can't quite think of a situation which would fruit love."

"I suppose it could arise from anything. The simplest of situations."

"Well what do you suggest then?"

He shrugged. "I'm not a writer."

I gave him an irritated sigh. "Well you set that whole thing up. You might as well say what you wanted to say."

"Why don't you have them share a class? They notice each other…I would imagine it wouldn't take much more than that."

"Like love at first sight? I didn't think you'd believe in that sort of thing."

He pushed up his glasses. "I don't."

I rolled my eyes. Figures. Should have seen that one coming though. We finished our meal and the waiter brought out our check. I pulled out my wallet, but Kyoya was already handing the waiter a credit card. As the waiter thanked him and left, I smacked the table lightly. "Damn it Kyoya we could have split it. I'm not super rich but I'm not destitute either. There's no way this was a cheap meal."

"Chivalry affirms that the man pay on the first date. You can agree to this much at least? It's a common scenario in your stories after all."

"Yeah but they're called stories for a reason. You could have…wait. You read my stories?"

"The whole club does." He replied easily.

I took a few sips of my water. So Kyoya Ootori read my cheesy romantic drabbles. My heart caught in my throat. Maybe he read them because he was waiting for his character to show up. I had written about everyone else in the club, after all. Oh god. This is why he agreed to come. Maybe he really did feel left out and I just never noticed. How could I not notice? But it wasn't my fault, the bastard was always repressing his emotions and all that. How was I supposed to know?

"Adeline?"

"Huh?"

"You really didn't hear a word I said did you?"

I blinked, worried he might shoot me the millionth death glare of the day.

He sighed. "The park. Would you like to walk around?"

"Oh," I said, looking up at the sky, "Yes definitely, but, do you think the weather will hold out?"

"We can always call for my car." He said.

I nodded and we headed out. Madame Major thanked us as we left, and insisted we come back to visit her again.

The park was peaceful, and there weren't too many people, presumably because of the clouds. It wasn't too cold, a bit breezy but nothing I couldn't handle. Kyoya had a hoodie so I knew he was fine. It was a relaxing end to an… _interesting_ day.

"What are you best at baking?" he asked.

"Um…" I thought for a bit, "I guess snickerdoodles. They're my favorite."

"Snicker…doodles?"

My eyes widened as I looked at him. "You've never tried one before?"

"I'm not even sure what it is. A pastry?"

"They're cookies! With cinnamon and sugar."

He looked up at the sky. "I'm big fan of cinnamon." He told me.

"Oh, well I'll make you some." I said, flashing him a smile.

He smiled back at me, and for a split second I went into sort of a shock, because I'd never really seen him give a real smile before. It was different from the ones he flashed the maidens at the Host Club. Softer.

Just then some lightning flashed through the sky. It was gorgeous to see.

"Wow! Kyoya did you see that?"

Before he had a chance to reply, the thunder came crashing down, and although I know lightning and thunder always come together, I couldn't help but yelp with surprise.

I heard a small snicker and then a burst of laughter. I turned to see Kyoya covering his mouth with his hand and trying his absolute best to remain composure.

I kinda half giggled. "What?" I said.

"That was such a funny sound." He cleared his throat, back to his normal self, "It was amusing, that's all."

I rolled my eyes, "It's legal to _laugh_ you know. No one's stopping you."

Thunder rolled again and the rain began to pour down.

I looked up, letting the droplets kiss my face and fall into my open hands. I gave a short laugh, trying to enjoy the moment before Kyoya ruined it. Because I had a feeling Kyoya would be like a wet cat. Irritated and ready to kill something.

"It feels kind of nice." I said, still looking up at the clouds.

When I looked over to him, he wasn't there. Crap. Had he left me?

I felt a heavy piece of fabric fall onto me, covering most of my eyes.

"You'll get sick." He said seriously.

"Oh, no," I said trying to shrug the jacket off, "Kyoya it's fine, I've been out in the rain before-"

"Again with your plethora of words. Just take the jacket."

Kyoya had a way of scaring people into submission. So I put the jacket on. It smelled really nice. Like you could tell whoever owned it was beyond rich. It just had that kind of smell to it. But I felt bad. I knew he was only doing it because it was what was 'proper' or whatever. I knew he'd give anything to have his jacket back. He looked absolutely miserable while we waited for the car. It didn't help that this park didn't have any type of gazebo or anything.

We entered the car in silence, both of us dripping, but Kyoya absolutely drenched. The silence continued most of the way back, and I wanted to say something, but I couldn't bring myself to. Something about Kyoya was really scary. We were only getting closer and closer to my house. If I wanted to say something, I'd have to do it now.

"I'm sorry." I spit out, hugging the jacket. But when I said it, I felt the sting of tears pricking my eyes, and my voice was sort of choked. God, what was wrong with me? I blinked hard, pushing them back.

Kyoya looked up at me, water dripping from his black hair. "What for?"

"Everything. All of today. I'm sorry I've never written about you. I'm sorry I shoved ice cream in your face. And I'm sorry I'm clumsy. I know you were super bored at the mall. And I hate that you had to pay for that meal. And I'm sorry we got caught in the rain. But you didn't have to give me your jacket. I would've been fine. Honest."

The car had stopped. He didn't say anything, but got out of the car and held the door open for me. The sky had cleared, and you could see a whole mess of stars. Kyoya walked me to my door.

"The ice cream tasted good. You're clumsy, but I caught you didn't I? The commoner mall was interesting, I've never been to one before. I already explained that a man pays on the first date. And the rain was of no consequence. If anything, I hope I didn't ruin today. Do I make you that nervous?"

My cheeks burned. "Kinda…" I said, looking down, "Not in a bad way though!" I quickly added, my head shooting up, "I had fun today. And I'll make you snickerdoodles! To make up for the ice cream." I couldn't help but be hopeful, and I shot him a smile, because hearing that Kyoya had actually sort of enjoyed today made me really happy.

He returned my smile again, and bent down, so that his face hovered just above mine. Then he did something I wasn't expecting at all. He kissed my cheek.

"I'd like that."

Without another word, he turned, walked back to his car, and was gone.

I watched his car pull out of the driveway, until it had gone all the way up the street and then around the corner. My hand went up to my cheek, and I sort of poked it, not really believing what had just happened.

Wait.

This couldn't have…

Had this been a real date?


	4. Chapter 4

_Pumpkin, cinnamon spice, and everything nice._

 _.~~~._

I ran up to my room and shut the door, my heart pounding. Think, Adeline, think. How had this started? Tamaki had suggested a date. Typical Tamaki. Kyoya had agreed, without hesitation or objection. Definitely not typical Kyoya. That was red flag number one. But fine, whatever. He agreed. Next. I shoved ice cream in his face and he didn't react. He didn't give me the stare of death or even call me a fool or some other eloquent snarky response. Red flag number two. What else? He had picked the restaurant. He already had it in mind, didn't he? Had he planned ahead? Did Madame look like she had been expecting us?

The jacket. The whole catching me thing. He could have let me fall, if he wanted to. And then that kiss, just now. Blaring, loud, mega huge red flag. Too many flags. It was making my head spin. I couldn't get a solid breath in me. Did Kyoya Ootori like me? Me, of all people? I was the definition of d _erp_.

More importantly, did I like him? I thought back to when he smiled at me, and my heart fluttered, my face melting into a smile of its own.

Goddamn.

Was this for real? This was so typical of me. Not even realizing I like a guy until I'm completely head over heels.

 _Get a grip._

Ok. Ok, this had a logical solution to it, I was sure. So maybe I liked Kyoya. But who wouldn't? He was so…mature? Ok that was the wrong word. God I couldn't think. I liked him and I didn't even know why. He had a nice smile, I'd give him that. And he smelled really good. But I think most of all I found him annoying. Like really annoying. Is that why I was so fond of him? I thought of my mom and dad.

"Bickering is the fondest form of love." My mother would say. They really were always going at it. But they loved each other more than anything. Is that what was happening here? Kyoya and I didn't exactly bicker per say…

I flopped on my bed. This was too much. So, let's say for argument's sake I liked Kyoya. As I thought of his name I thought of that smile. And those eyes that he kept hidden behind glasses. My heart skipped a beat. Yeah. I liked him.

I pulled out my notebook and began to write.

 _He was like snow. Cold and unyielding, but beautiful. And yet, there was something about the way he smiled at her that made her think that maybe his walls weren't made of solid ice. She was quirky, and not always in the best sense, but she loved him. More than he knew. More than **she** knew. _

_"Hello, Kaz." She smiled, taking her seat next to him in class. He nodded at her, hardly a response at all, but the corners of his mouth were tugging upwards, in a discreet smile. She smiled to herself, wondering if he was the only one she did that for._

 _"I made cupcakes last night, would you like some?"_

 _He looked up from his notebook, dropping his pencil. "What kind?"_

 _"They're pumpkin." She grinned widely._

 _He cringed. "No thank you."_

 _She rolled her eyes and pulled out a little box of Tupperware. She held out the cupcake to him. "Come on, you never know unless you try."_

 _She didn't think, and extended the cupcake out to his face, but he had already turned back to his notebook, and so the frosting kissed his face in a messy splatter. She stood frozen. Surely, he'd never forgive her for this. But then he did something she wasn't expecting. He burst out laughing, throwing his head back and everything._

 _"Honestly, Anna, you're so clumsy." He pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his face. She blushed crimson red. "It if means that much to you I'll taste the darn cupcake."_

 _She couldn't look at him, her cheeks burning, as she handed him the smooshed cupcake._

 _He took a bite that could only be described as a "Kaz" sort of bite. Analytical, slow, and it really looked like he was hosting his own debate about the taste in his head._

 _"W-well?" she asked nervously._

 _"I love pumpkin." He nodded, "You did a good job."_

 _She half-smiled. "Thanks, I guess."_

 _He took another bite, genuinely enjoying the sweet. "Do you think you could show me?"_

 _Her eyes went wide. "Oh, well, there's lots of recipes online. It's not hard, really-"_

 _"Anna."_

 _She looked up at him, a light blush on her cheeks. "Yes?"_

 _"I want you to teach me."_

 _Her heart skipped a beat. "Oh." She grinned widely at him, flashing him a solid nod. "Yes! Let's do it then. I'll make a baker out of you!"_

 _He chuckled lightheartedly, and she could feel his walls melting. It made her own heart flutter, causing her to smile, and as the bell signaled the beginning of class, she couldn't stop thinking of his laughter._

I smiled to myself, pretty happy with this little drabble. I spent the rest of the weekend adjusting my story and working on the best batch of snickerdoodle cookies I'd ever made.

* * *

When I walked into the Host Club that Monday, I was surrounded. At first I thought it was because of the tray of cookies I was holding, but then I realized they were all curious as to how our 'not-so-date-actually-possibly-a-date' went.

"Adeline! Such a beautiful sight for tired eyes!"

I laughed, Tamaki was always so dramatic.

"So, how did the date go?" Kaoru asked.

"Yes was he a gentleman?"

"Or did you wish-"

"You were with us instead?"

I had one twin in front of me and one behind. It was like a weird ginger sandwich.

"Oy, let her breathe." Haruhi tugged at my arm, pulling me out of the bundle.

"Did you have fun?" Honey-sempai said excitedly.

I grinned. "Yeah it was great, wasn't it Kyoya?"

"It was a pleasant day." He said, not looking up from his notes. I couldn't help but smile to myself.

Mori walked over to me, took one of the cookies from the platter I had been holding, and walked away.

"Oh, yes! These are for everyone. They're snickerdoodle cookies." I smiled proudly.

"So thoughtful!" Tamaki put a hand to his forehead, "An angel of generosity!"

I giggled, "You haven't even tasted them yet."

I offered him one, and he took it gladly, scarfing it down in one bite. His eyes shimmered, and he fell to his knees, taking my hand.

"Such an exquisite dessert!" He stood up, lifting my chin with the edge of his fingers, "They're as sweet as I can imagine your lips to be."

I could feel my cheeks warming up. "Tamaki…honestly."

"Ha, these are pretty good! Hikaru, try one!"

Hikaru embraced his brother. "Only if you feed it to me."

Kaoru blushed, "But Hikaru, we're not children anymore…"

"Then let's pretend we are…" he said, cupping his brothers cheek. It made me sort of anxious.

I made my way to Kyoya, who was leaning on one of the columns, still scribbling in the Host Club notebook.

"Want one?" I said, trying to show off my best smile. But my voice sounded unintentionally shaky.

He pushed his glasses up. "Perhaps later."

I bit my lip and nodded, making my way to Haruhi. I was sort of grateful I didn't have to be around him anymore, as he was making my heart pound like crazy. Being this level of nervous was sort of embarrassing.

I spent that afternoon chatting with Haruhi, and explained to her everything that had happened.

"I just hope I get to talk to him." I told her.

She smiled kindly. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to get everyone out of here for you."

My heart flopped. "You're the best."

Once all the guests had gone, Tamaki was going on and on about something or other to Kyoya. Mori, Honey and the twins had been long gone by that point. It was a wonder how Kyoya stood the endless babbling.

"Tamaki! It's clear he's not listening to you. Come on, let's go."

The King glanced at her, confused. "But, but this is important!"

She rolled her eyes, "Come on," she insisted.

"Ok, ok, but I want another cookie-"

"Let's _go_ Tamaki." She grabbed him by the ear and dragged him away. "See you tomorrow Adeline!" she said, throwing me a wave.

"Haruhi! You shouldn't hurt your papa!" The door shut and I giggled.

Being in the same room with Kyoya alone was nerve-wracking. With shaking legs, I got up from my chair and walked over to his desk.

"Did you like the cookies?"

"They were delicious, yes."

 _Kyoya Ootori likes my cookies._ I inwardly squealed.

"I figured Tamaki would hog most of them, so," I reached into my bag, and pulled out a little package, placing it in front of him, "I made you a small batch. They have extra cinnamon." I felt myself blush. "Not too much though! It doesn't overpower it or anything." I cleared my throat, "If you liked them I could make you some more. If you want." I knew my cheeks were only getting darker. He was right. I talked too much.

"If you like." He said.

Dear lord my heart was pounding like crazy. I couldn't help it. I mentally slapped myself. _Get a hold of yourself, Adeline._

"I enjoyed Saturday." I said, a sheepish smile on my face.

He nodded and continued typing. He was so dedicated that way. Even so I wish he would look at me. No, maybe not. That'd only make me even more nervous.

"Would you like to do it again sometime?" I suggested hopefully.

He glanced up at me. "I would have thought it was enough inspiration for you."

I smiled, giving him a half laugh."Yes, well," I reached into my bag again, ready to pull out my story for him. "when you kissed me-"

"I was merely bidding you goodbye." I glanced up. He didn't bother to look at me, and his fingers never left the keys.

Everything slowed down. In the worst way. I felt my heart turn to lead, weighing me down like an anchor.

Just. Goodbye.

I was an idiot. A complete and total idiot. I quickly shoved the mess of papers back into my bag. How could I possibly have thought he meant anything else by it? This was Kyoya. And I was of no duchess, I had no value to my name. I was just Adeline. It was like what he said about the girl at the mall. Still just a commoner.

"Oh."

He couldn't have heard it. It was just a breath of a sound. I mean, I'm not even sure if I actually said it or if it had just been in my head. But at that moment he stopped typing and looked up at me. Like really looked at me. And I panicked.

"Oh," I said again, laughing it off, "that's so awkward, oh jeez." I cleared my throat. "Don't worry about it. I'm bad at the whole reading people thing." I laughed some more. I was laughing too much, I knew that, but I couldn't help it. It was the only thing stopping me from crying. Why did I feel like crying over Kyoya Ootori?

"Um, so I'll work on the story, I guess. And you can read it when I finish it. Or not. I don't know. Um if you still want the cookies it's not problem. For me. But don't feel like you have to eat em or anything. You know like no pressure or anything at all. I don't know why you would feel pressured or anything I mean it's whatever, like I said."

 _Stop talking, Adeline._

I picked up my bag. "So I'll see you tomorrow. Not like that, I just mean I'll be at the club. Maybe. To talk to Haruhi. Or you know whoever. Um."

I couldn't stand it anymore. I ran out of the room. I didn't care that I hadn't finished my sentence or that I hadn't made any sense. That was the longest I had ever seen Kyoya stop typing for someone. All so that he could watch me stutter and crumble like the mess that I was.

Sadistic bastard.

I pushed down the hallway until I felt a tug on my wrist, and before I realized what was happening, I was pushed up against a wall.

"You can't give up on him so easily." Tamaki's voice was serious. His eyes didn't have his usual playfulness.

"W-what?"

"He's under a lot of pressure. Don't give up so easily."

He let me go and made his way back towards the music room.

I was left alone, in the hallway, panting. And before I could stop myself, I was crying. I wiped away my tears, angry at myself.

 _This is what you get for falling for Kyoya._


	5. Chapter 5

_And it was absolutely perfect..._

 _.~~~._

I think it goes without saying that I didn't go to the club the next day. Or the day after that. Or that whole week really. It was too embarrassing. Not to mention it would be too much trouble to come up with a reason as to why I wouldn't show anyone Kyoya's story.

On Friday, though, I ran into Haruhi on the way to one of my classes. She insisted I show up.

"We've all missed you. Even Kyoya asked for you the other day."

I couldn't imagine as to why, but it made my heart skip a beat nonetheless. "He did?"

She nodded happily and smiled at me. "You'll come won't you? Tonight's the dance too."

I looked down, embarrassed. "I'd forgotten about that." I admitted.

"Well we can talk about it at the Host Club. You'll request me won't you?" she winked.

I laughed, she really was a natural. "Will do." I told her.

To be honest, the rest of that day I was pretty anxious. So I had totally misread that situation. Fine, I guess. But I still wanted Kyoya and I to be friends. I was with everyone else at the club, and knowing that he accepted me as well was pretty great. I just hoped that my whole girlish awkward crush moment hadn't ruined that. God what I wouldn't give to roll back time.

Once classes were done, I shoved my face with the quiche I had made to boost up my confidence. Quiches were great because it was technically baking so it was one of the few foods I could actually manage to make without it tasting terrible. With a full stomach, I strode confidently (or at least, as confidently as I could manage) to the music room. But when I got to the doors, they suddenly looked so intimidating. I stood outside the door, trying to find my courage. When I finally did get the nerve to walk in, the first thing I noticed was that Kyoya wasn't at his desk like he usually was. He was surrounded by a group of girls, all of which were turning to pudding in his fingers. I couldn't help the sting of jealousy that pierced through me. Especially when he looked at me, with that aristocratic glare he had. I thought I might throw up. Suddenly I seriously regretted eating that entire quiche so fast.

Oh man. Maybe I couldn't just be friends with him. I turned around, reaching for the handle, but Tamaki grabbed me before I could escape.

"Adeline! It's been so long! I missed you." He said, hugging me tightly. "You'll stay won't you?"

"Actually Tamaki I have-"

"Wonderful!" he clapped his hands. "And you're coming to our ball tonight, yes?"

"Ball? No I didn't…I'm busy."

"Nonsense! We'll get you an outfit!"

"Tamaki really-"

"Kyoya still needs a dance partner!"

"Tamaki-"

"You two really look good together-"

"NO!"

Everyone and everything stopped. To look at me. Kyoya was giving me a curious look. I couldn't bear it. Haruhi walked over to me.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

I looked down, shaking my head. "I'm sorry. I can't. Maybe next time, Tamaki. Ok?"

It was then that I noticed Kyoya making his way over to us. I wanted to run, but it felt like my feet were bolted to the ground.

"It would be an honor to escort you to tonight's ball."

Was he talking to me? He had to be. There was no one else around. And he was looking right at me. What was this guy's problem?

I smiled politely. "I appreciate that you guys just want to make girls happy, but I'm fine, really. And I definitely don't need any pity dances. What happened was just a misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding on your part, Adeline."

My hands were fists and I clenched my jaw. Did he have to rub it in like that? "Yes, Kyoya. I already apologized. It won't happen again."

He sighed, pushing up his glasses. "You continue to misunderstand. You're as hopeless as Tamaki. It would bring me pleasure to escort you tonight."

Haruhi looked at me with a hopeful smile. Had she set this up?

I smiled at the group. "I'm sorry. Maybe next time."

Before Tamaki could grab me again, I made my escape, tugging on the doors of the music room and running down the hall once I had heard the door click closed. At the end of the hall I stopped, gasping for air. I leaned against the wall and slid down, suddenly very tired. I didn't need his pity and I didn't want it. Why couldn't everyone just let it go? This was Kyoya for god sakes. We all know he's gonna end up with like the richest girl in London or something. Definitely not the daughter of a small business owner. I was feeling sort of lost, so I pulled out my little notebook, and started to write.

 _The thing about Anna was, she was a big believer in fairy tales. So much so, that it was her biggest strength, and weakness. It was what made her so quick to jump to conclusions, and it was the reason her heart got broken. It was an honest mistake, but a painful one nonetheless._

 _Indeed she had taught Kaz how to bake, and he thanked her, and she was happy. School continued normally and casually, and she began to notice the smile that tugged at his lips. Her heart raced at the thought that it was a smile just for her._

 _On one particular day, she was waiting for the bus with him, when he spoke up. "You look nice in that dress," he told her, just before catching his bus. He had never paid her a compliment before, and so she took it to heart. She decided to wear a dress the next day, so that she could hear him say it again. When she got there, another girl, Emma was there with him, and they were chatting. Anna rushed over to join the group._

 _"That color suits you," she overhead him tell Emma, and he smiled as he told her. Anna could feel her heart shattering. He was smiling at Emma just in the same way he had smiled at her. With that thought in her mind, she couldn't bear to wait with them, so she walked home that day instead. 'Perhaps fairytales are just that,' she thought, 'fairytales.'_

I'm not sure how long I'd been there, but long enough for me to fall asleep. When I woke up, it was to the sound of fingers hitting a keyboard. Kyoya was sitting on the floor, directly across from me.

"Oh good," he said, closing the laptop, "You're up." He then put it to the side, and made his way to sit down next to me.

"What are you doing here?"

"You were alone."

I didn't know what to say, and I was still weighed down by sleep, so I didn't say anything.

"I read your story. Both of them."

He went through my stuff? What a jerk. I don't know if I was too tired or too angry to respond, but boy was I fuming.

He turned to look at me, and sighed. "Your social standing is of no significance. You're clumsy and capricious, and if you were to dine at my house it'd no doubt be an embarrassment considering you don't have the proper etiquette."

Was he for real? "I get it Kyoya, you don't have to-"

He continued, as though I hadn't spoken at all. "Despite all this I can't stop this strange surge of happiness when you walk through the club doors. I've tried to repress it, but it's no use. When I kissed you, it was purely on impulse, and I couldn't stop it. Even so, I wouldn't call it a mistake. If it were up to me, it would be how I bid you goodbye every time. You've given me emotions I can't control, and they only get worse when you're not around." He turned to look at me. "So please, come with me to the ball tonight."

I didn't really know how to react at that point.

"So," I tried to think of how to word this, "What you're saying is…despite your better judgement, you like me?"

His pushed up his glasses, and they flashed when they caught the light.

"Yes."

This guy was going to kill me.

"I'm sorry Kyoya..." I shook my head, "you can't say things like that. That's an awful way to put it…"

"How do you suggest I say it then?"

I looked up at him, nervously biting the inside of my cheeks. "You really like me?"

"Have I not made that clear enough?"

I looked down, suddenly very embarrassed. "So just say it then. What good is stabbing me with criticism?" It was then that I got angry again. "You're pretty annoying yourself you know. It's impossible to tell what you're thinking and it always seems like you have ulterior motives. If I have to hear you clacking against that stupid keyboard any longer I swear I'm going to kill myself. Oh and by the way? Those glares you give people would make even death think twice ok? So don't think you're hot stuff. Because you're not. You're just-"

He held my face in between his two hands, and my heart began to pound. I shut up real quick. His face was just next to mine, and having him this close was giving me a dizzying sort of rush. I forgot what I had been ranting about.

"I like you."

The words hadn't quite finished leaving his lips before I had a taste of my first kiss. With Kyoya Ootori. On the floor in a random hallway at school. And yet, despite all that, it was absolutely perfect.


End file.
